“There are 1,043 students at the University of Akron. No, I know – there are actually more than 24,000 students at UA. But the 1,043 I’m talking about are a little different – they’re international students. This semester, that’s how many students and scholars at our university hail from over 80 different countries.”
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There are 1,043 students at the University of Akron.

No, I know – there are actually more than 24,000 students at UA. But the 1,043 I’m talking about are a little different – they’re international students.

This semester, that’s how many students and scholars at our university hail from over 80 different countries.

Surprising?

What’s actually surprising is how often international students fall below the radar.

Have you ever had a conversation with a student from India or Mexico?

David Ayers, the director of the office of International Programs, said there are many ways for UA students to form relationships with international students.

There are a number of ways for UA students to connect with international students. There’s a conversation partner program through the ELI department, Fusion, which started this year, and a number of Thanksgiving dinners planned in November, Ayers said.

Fusion, which is a new program, was an attempt to find different ways to connect students.

Amr Bantan, a Saudi Arabian working on his master’s in Computer Science, is one of many international students who was a part of Fusion.

For him, connecting with American students is important for many reasons.

It’s important to have friends, and hanging out with those friends really helps me improve my English.

I can’t do homework all the time!

Bantan showed up in Akron at the beginning of the semester, and plans to complete his graduate work here.

But UA doesn’t just work to bring students from around the world to Akron – it also has programs to send its students abroad.

In fact, there is a possibility for UA students to travel to Korea for the entire spring semester, earning 15 credit hours overseas.

Traveling abroad is free of charge, and includes a stipend. The deadline is coming soon, but Ayers said that no one has signed up or expressed interest.

I’m really surprised, but no one has signed up for the Korea program in the spring.

The trip works out especially well for students who need to fill general education requirements. Students will gain credit hours, travel abroad at almost no cost and be immersed into a new culture.

But if you can’t embrace people from around the world while they’re here, how do you expect them to receive you when you stop by for a semester?

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